Released: October 5, 1992
Songwriter: Michael Stipe Mike Mills (R.E.M.) Bill Berry Peter Buck
Producer: Scott Litt R.E.M.
[Verse 1]
This here is the place where I will be staying
There isn't a number, you can call the pay phone
Let it ring a long, long, long, long time
If I don't pick up, hang up, call back, let it ring some more
Oh
If I don't pick up, pick up
The sidewinder sleeps, sleeps, sleeps in a coil
[Chorus]
Call me when you try to wake her up
Call me when you try to wake her
Call me when you try to wake her up
Call me when you try to wake her
Call me when you try to wake her up
Call me when you try to wake her
Oh
[Verse 2]
There are scratches all around the coin slot
Like a heartbeat, baby trying to wake up
But this machine can only swallow money
You can't lay a patch by computer design
It's just a lot of stupid, stupid signs
Tell her
Tell her she can kiss my ass
Then laugh and say that you were only kidding
That way she'll know that it's really, really, really, really me
[Chorus]
Call me when you try to wake her up
Call me when you try to wake her
Call me when you try to wake her up
Call me when you try to wake her
Call me when you try to wake her up
Call me when you try to wake her
Oh
[Verse 3]
Baby, instant soup doesn't really grab me
Today I need something more sub-sub-sub-substantial
A can of beans or black-eyed peas, some Nescafe and ice
A candy bar, a falling star, or a reading from Doctor Seuss
[Chorus]
Call me when you try to wake her up
Call me when you try to wake her
Call me when you try to wake her up
Call me when you try to wake her
Call me when you try to wake her up
Call me when you try to wake her
[Verse 4]
The cat in the hat came back
Wreaked a lot of havoc on the way
Always had a smile and a reason to pretend
But their world has flat backgrounds
And little need to sleep but to dream
The sidewinder sleeps on his back
[Chorus]
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
I can always sleep standing up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Oh
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
I can always sleep standing up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Oh
[Outro]
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
I can always sleep standing up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
I can always sleep standing up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
We've got to boogie, boogie, move on this one
This here is the place where I will be staying
There isn't a number, you can call the pay phone
Let it ring a long, long, long, long time
If I don't pick up, hang up, call back, let it ring some more
Oh
If I don't pick up, pick up
The sidewinder sleeps, sleeps, sleeps in a coil
[Chorus]
Call me when you try to wake her up
Call me when you try to wake her
Call me when you try to wake her up
Call me when you try to wake her
Call me when you try to wake her up
Call me when you try to wake her
Oh
[Verse 2]
There are scratches all around the coin slot
Like a heartbeat, baby trying to wake up
But this machine can only swallow money
You can't lay a patch by computer design
It's just a lot of stupid, stupid signs
Tell her
Tell her she can kiss my ass
Then laugh and say that you were only kidding
That way she'll know that it's really, really, really, really me
[Chorus]
Call me when you try to wake her up
Call me when you try to wake her
Call me when you try to wake her up
Call me when you try to wake her
Call me when you try to wake her up
Call me when you try to wake her
Oh
[Verse 3]
Baby, instant soup doesn't really grab me
Today I need something more sub-sub-sub-substantial
A can of beans or black-eyed peas, some Nescafe and ice
A candy bar, a falling star, or a reading from Doctor Seuss
[Chorus]
Call me when you try to wake her up
Call me when you try to wake her
Call me when you try to wake her up
Call me when you try to wake her
Call me when you try to wake her up
Call me when you try to wake her
[Verse 4]
The cat in the hat came back
Wreaked a lot of havoc on the way
Always had a smile and a reason to pretend
But their world has flat backgrounds
And little need to sleep but to dream
The sidewinder sleeps on his back
[Chorus]
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
I can always sleep standing up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Oh
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
I can always sleep standing up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
Oh
[Outro]
Call me when you try to wake her up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
I can always sleep standing up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
I can always sleep standing up
(Call me when you try to wake her)
We've got to boogie, boogie, move on this one
Automatic for the People [25th Anniversary Edition]
- Everybody Hurts
- 10k Minimal (Demo)
- Peter’s New Song (Demo)
- Eastern 983111 (Demo)
- Bill’s Acoustic (Demo)
- Arabic Feedback (Demo)
- Howler Monkey (Demo)
- Pakiderm (Demo)
- Afterthought (Demo)
- Bazouki Song (Demo)
- Photograph (Demo)
- Michael’s Organ (Demo)
- Peter’s Acoustic Idea (Demo)
- 6-8 Passion & Voc (Demo)
- Cello Scud (Demo)
- C To D Slide 13 (Demo)
- Wake Her Up (Demo)
- Man on the Moon
- Nightswimming
- Sweetness Follows
- Try Not to Breathe
- Drive
- The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
- Monty Got a Raw Deal
- Ignoreland
- Star Me Kitten
- Find the River
- New Orleans Instrumental No. 1
- Devil Rides Backwards (Demo)
- Mike’s Pop Song (Demo)
- Drive (Demo)
- Losing My Religion
- It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
- Man on the Moon
- Everybody Hurts
- Orange Crush
- The One I Love
- Nightswimming
- The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
- Shiny Happy People
- What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?
- Drive
- Imitation of Life
- Stand
- Find the River
- Radio Free Europe
- (Don’t Go Back to) Rockville
- E-Bow the Letter
- Country Feedback
- The Great Beyond
- Let Me In
- Fall on Me
- Try Not to Breathe
- So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)
- Ignoreland